This invention relates generally to sealed compressors and, more particularly, to an economizer tube assembly for a sealed compressor.
A typical compressor is comprised of several compartments including a compression chamber. The compartments of the compressor are surrounded by an outer shell. Proper functioning of a compressor requires that the compartments of the compressor remained sealed from each other and from the environment. To increase the efficiency of a cooling cycle many compressors incorporate an economizer cycle as a part of the cooling cycle. As part of the economizer cycle, a portion of a refrigerant is injected into the compression chamber through an economizer tube.
Incorporation of an economizer tube must not destroy the integrity of the sealed compartments of the compressor. Thus, it is necessary to have a refrigerant vapor seal between the economizer tube and the compressor housing. In addition, it would be advantageous to design an economizer tube assembly that helps align the compression chamber within a compressor relative to the outer shell of the compressor.